Final Home Game a Win for UAH

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Playing in their final home game of the season, the University of Alabama in Huntsville hockey team defeated the Oklahoma club team on Saturday afternoon, 4-0 at the Von Braun Center.

UAH has now won three straight games, despite those games being counted as exhibitions. They outscored the No. 6-ranked team in the ACHA Club Rankings in two games in Huntsville, 7-1.

The Chargers wasted no time in the second game of the two-game set, as they were up 1-0 at 1:10 in the first period on a goal by Michael Webley. Webley fired one past the Oklahoma goaltender, as the sophomore had a wide open look at net thanks to a great pass from Koshey and a secondary assist to Chad Brears.

Graeme Strukoff gave UAH a 2-0 lead at 17:32 in the first, when his slap shot blew by the Sooners’ goaltender once again. The puck stuck in the back of the net and hung there, drawing a delayed reaction from the Huntsville crowd on the unassisted goal.

Midway through the second period at 9:44, Doug Reid saw his shot knocked down by the OU goaltender, but the puck slid slowly past the goal line to give UAH a 3-0 lead. Stephen Hickey was credited with the assist on the goal, as Reid launched one from the far side of the left circle.

After a few on-ice altercations between the two teams and Oklahoma having a player sent off for game misconduct and a five-minute major penalty, senior Sebastian Geoffrion scored the fourth goal of the night. Geoffrion put OU away for good, as Steven Koshey picked up the assist on the goal. The Brentwood, Tenn., native also scored two goals in last night’s game.

It was an ugly finish at the VBC, as both teams exchanged their hated feelings of one another. Two players were sent off and three major penalties were handed out.

The Chargers outshot the Sooners, 35-20 and dominated in faceoffs at 39-23.

Senior John Griggs went the distance in goal notching the shutout, recording 20 saves and picking up the win in his final game at the VBC. Griggs played a solid third period, when UAH was on the penalty kill for four minutes after Strukoff went to the penalty box for consecutive two-minute penalties.

UAH has some time off before returning to the ice on Feb. 8 (Friday) and 9 (Saturday), when they travel to face future-Big Ten Conference member Penn State in University Park, Penn. Puck drop scheduled for 6:30 p.m. both nights